The Varsovienne

The Varsoviana (Italy) or Varsovienne (France) is
a slow dance in 3/4 time having an accented down beat in alternate measures. The Varsovienne was originally from Warsaw
in 1850 in honor of Mount Vesuvius and was introduced to France by a young dance instructor named Désiré
and America in 1853. The Little Foot Dance and Schottische
are related. The Varsoviana was one of the smoothest and graceful dances known and it was the most popular of the dances done at the time.

Reilley's Amateur Vademecum states:
"Music: 3/4 or 3/8 time. This is a very pleasing and graceful Waltz, and is executed
in two parts; the first part consists of the polka step repeated four times, and the second part of two mazourkas and one polka, repeated for the first time, and the polka-redowa for
the second execution of the second part, and so on, using the mazourka and polka redowa in the second part."

In another writing it was said that the dance was always divided into 16 beats of music and was danced by two people!.

Musicians

Bands

Singers

Poets / Writers

Adelaido Chavez

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Benjamin Lovett

Big Jim De Noone

Ira W. Ford

Murray Arnold

Pee
Wee King

Stanley
Sokol

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Varsovie

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Basic Step:(excerpted from Coulons Handbook-1873):
the gentleman holding the lady by the right arm. There are two different steps.
1) The first occupies two bars of the music. It
is composed of one step of the Polka for the first bar; and for the second the foot is slidden to the side, the toe pointed and
kept in that position during the remainder of it. This is to be repeated eight times, each time turning half round.
2) The second step occupies four bars, the first and second bars of which are employed
while the first step of the Polka ??Mazurka
is danced, twice to the side; the third bar, while one step of the Polka is danced, turning half round: and the fourth bar while the
foot is slidden to the side, keeping the toe pointed during the remainder of the bar. This second step is to be repeated four times.>

Note: There is also an
additional step, which may be danced instead of the second step, or partly with it,
... that is to say... twice of the one and eight of the other,: but this is left to the option of the dancers. It is danced thus:
-- One Polka stop, which takes one bar, observing to slide the first step instead of jumping, and turning like the Waltz.
This is to be repeated sixteen times, when part of the second step is not used.